2G satellite system on horizon

China will launch more navigation satellites next year to develop the second-generation Beidou satellite navigation system - China's equivalent to the US GPS navigation system - an official said.

The country aims to complete the second-generation Beidou system by 2011, a director with the China National Administration of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Application said yesterday at a conference commemorating five years of the Beidou system's operation.

The new system will outperform its predecessor in positioning accuracy, coverage territory, user capacity and anti-jamming capabilities, the director, who refused to be named, said.